TITLE:
Cheaper Precision Weapons: An Exploratory Study about the HESA Shahed 136
AUTHORS:
Daniel Zampronha, Aline Albuquerque
KEYWORDS:
Drones, Loitering Munitions
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Aerospace Science and Technology,
Vol.9 No.1,
March
19,
2024
ABSTRACT: The
ability to hit a target with precision and from a great distance has been
reserved for the world’s
superpowers. However, this resource is increasingly being threatened as drones
with this long-range and precision capability are becoming more accessible to
those who don’t have
this strategic ability. This article starts with an analysis of the Iranian
HESA Shahed 136 drone to discuss the latest innovations in low-cost long-range
precision weapons, specifically the use of kamikaze drones and loitering munitions.
This is an exploratory study that starts by discussing the notion of a kamikaze
drone and then analyses the design options for the Shahed 136, to reflect on
the future of this new type of weapon and its implications for the economic and
political relationship between weapon and cost. The conclusion is that the HESA
Shahed 136 revolutionizes the concept of precise long-range strikes, a function
that until now was reserved for expensive and technologically demanding
tactical missiles and aircraft, and which can now be carried out with cheap
drones. This creates an arms race not only in producing the most technological
and precise weaponry but also the least expensive.